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DETROIT: Buffeted by soaring oil prices and spare capacity, U.S. airlines are planning deeper cuts in domestic and international routes, a shift that may whittle the industry to a scale last seen in 2002, when travel fell sharply after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.

The downsizing of the U.S. airline industry is unlikely to be reversed anytime soon, and whether it will spread beyond the United States is still uncertain.

U.S. carriers are selling off hundreds of older, less-efficient planes, so the industry is unlikely to grow sharply again, even if oil prices - which climbed Friday briefly to another record above $142 a barrel - were to drop and the economy were to rebound.

Passengers flying within the United States need to begin preparing for some significant cuts to airline fleets and schedules that will begin taking effect within a few months.

U.S. airports of every size - from LaGuardia in New York to Oakland in California - will also be affected as airlines reduce flights and eliminate service altogether.

Cuts also are taking place on international routes, affecting cities from London to Buenos Aires, as well as U.S. destinations popular with travelers from around the world, like Honolulu and Orlando, Florida.

By year's end, approximately 100 U.S. communities will lose regular commercial air service, a number that may double next year, according to the Air Transport Association, or ATA, the industry trade group.

At least one major carrier could liquidate, ATA has warned, on top of eight small airlines that have gone out of business or filed for bankruptcy protection this year.

At Coretta Scott King's funeral in early 2006, Ethel Kennedy, the widow of Robert Kennedy, leaned over to him and whispered, "The torch is being passed to you." "A chill went up my spine," Obama told an aide. (Newsweek)

DETROIT: Buffeted by soaring oil prices and spare capacity, U.S. airlines are planning deeper cuts in domestic and international routes, a shift that may whittle the industry to a scale last seen in 2002, when travel fell sharply after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States...

What happened to the statement that flying was manditory to the survival of the country? Beginning to sound/smell like a steaming pile of bullshit these days.:p

You are wrong.

I've pointed out elsewhere that the commercial aviation industry will be the very first to suffer from high crude prices, and this is already started to happen.

British Airways will place a sizable amount of its capacity in hangar storage this coming winter. Ryanair says it can no longer guarantee profitability, given the high prices. Big surprise, since the Ryanair model depends entirely on $85-90/bbl prices, and does not scale at all well when prices are likely to go well beyond $150 in a few weeks.

This is of concern to me, since I work in a services company aligned to the energy industry. I need to travel to Aberdeen, and the Aberdeeners need to travel to London, so that we can deliver. Every flight I take to Aberdeen and back (business class only flights) rarely if ever have any empty seats at all, certainly not on Mondays and Fridays.

We also work in Europe fairly often. We need to travel by the most rapid means available, otherwise we will miss deadlines.

Sonna is right ... commercial aviation is critical to business in the Western world.

This is of concern to me, since I work in a services company aligned to the energy industry. I need to travel to Aberdeen, and the Aberdeeners need to travel to London, so that we can deliver. Every flight I take to Aberdeen and back (business class only flights) rarely if ever have any empty seats at all, certainly not on Mondays and Fridays.

We also work in Europe fairly often. We need to travel by the most rapid means available, otherwise we will miss deadlines.

Sonna is right ... commercial aviation is critical to business in the Western world.

Originally Posted by LogansPapa

Of course they fly - and in the new format we need to watch our mouths. It's just the adult thing to do. But other than business - who HAS to fly to Europe? It's a luxury - not a necessity, dear little over-wound buddy.